Had a rear tire go flat on my 300 hr B7800. Repair guy removed tire and showed me the pitted and corroded rim. He blamed it in the calcium/water mix and Kubota's poorly made rims. He then installed a tube and refilled it with the mix, saying the rim would eventually puncture the tube. Owners manual said it would not hurt tire, tube or rim. That's just not right. THIS site said that even if the tire is tubless, a tube should be installed before adding calcium/water mix to prevent corroding the rim that will then ruin the seal. I think the Kubota dealer that put this stuff in the new tractor tire should have know what would eventually happen. What a shame!!
calcium/water ballast
- Thread starter beetlebaily
- Start date
85Hokie
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salt + steel + time = rust.....period!!!!!!!!!
Old fords 8n's would ballast out the rears with CaCl and last 30 years....but when it ate through - IT ATE through!!!!
Now filling a rim with almost anything is fine......BUT not salt - salt in a tube - you are A ok ! AS for the tube in a rusted rim.....there are "patches" you can place over the bad area on the rim to protect the tube and they are cheaper than a new rim!
Not sure how old your B7800 is, but my local Kubota service guy said they haven't used Calcium Chloride as ballast for at least 15 years. They now use some other sort of "inert" ballast material.
My L2250 is at said dealer as we speak, having new rear rims installed for the very same reason. In all fairness, the tractor is 31 years old, so it did take a while for the rims to give out.
Since these rims are no longer available from Kubota I had to have a set made up by Wold im out of Iowa. As soon as they're installed I'll be posting pics.
UPDATE: Just this minute heard from the dealer, and my tractor with its new wheels will be delivered around 11 this morning!
My L2250 is at said dealer as we speak, having new rear rims installed for the very same reason. In all fairness, the tractor is 31 years old, so it did take a while for the rims to give out.
Since these rims are no longer available from Kubota I had to have a set made up by Wold im out of Iowa. As soon as they're installed I'll be posting pics.
UPDATE: Just this minute heard from the dealer, and my tractor with its new wheels will be delivered around 11 this morning!
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Beet Juice or Windshield Washer solvent in cold climates. Warm climates, Beet Juice or water with a rust preventative.
I was recently debating loading my tires with antifreeze. the rims are not in great condition so i have held off and i decided that before i load them i plan on dismounting them and taking a good wire wheel to the inside of the rim and then paint it or seal it up with something like flexseal or some high solids paint. way i figure is anything helps.
North Idaho Wolfman
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If you're trying to clean rust off of metal, try some of this. Just wire brush off the loose stuff and spray with a cheap spray bottle.
Spray a good coat and let is set for a day. I wipe it good with a scour pad, and paint. It REALLY seals the metal.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C02B3...DB8AHX1HPKFD2CZS0&ie=UTF8&qid=1471747169&sr=1
Spray a good coat and let is set for a day. I wipe it good with a scour pad, and paint. It REALLY seals the metal.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C02B3...DB8AHX1HPKFD2CZS0&ie=UTF8&qid=1471747169&sr=1
I stopped by my two local tractor dealers today to see what they are using for ballast. Both use and sell CitraStar 50 made by Ballast Star. Interesting enough Kubota sells it for $3.50/gal. and JD sells it for $2.95/gal. I found Rim Guard next state over, but that's $4.35/gal. + travel. I'll get the tires off and see what the rims look like and paint if needed.
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I just purchased a 55 gal. drum of RIM-Guard at a local dealer for 2.90 a gal. Shop around and you can find deals. A local tractor dealer sells it for 2.80 a gal but they install it for a labor charge. Might still be a great deal but, as I have my own equipment and am cheap I did it myself.
You are not necessarily A-OK with CaCL in a tubed tire. When the valve leaks, and it will sooner or later, you will get salt water between the tube and the rim. Personal experience with a JD950.
Yes the tube will. The old 8ns or all the ones I had did have tubes. Flat or a few along the way along with a leaking stem and here you go. What ever you do just be sure it is not corrosive.
I was going to go with Citrastar-50 @ $2.99/gal., but was at Wally World today and -20F washer fluid is .75 cents/gal. so compared to $2.99/gal. I'm leaning towards washer fluid as the $67 savings will put a quart of Liquitube in each front tire.
I just filled my rears with -20 WWF. So far its working out nicely. I can defiantly tell there is more weight. It added roughly 250lbs per rear time for me. Tractor feels more planted and less "bucky" when driving around with the FEL.
Billdog350
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WWF is cheaper than rimguard but keep in mind rimguard weighs 11lbs per gal vs 6.6 for WWF, so you're filling with 40% less weight per gallon.
If you look at rimguard around $3/gal (plus installation unless you're cheap and want to do it yourself), you're only paying $0.27 per lb...which is a pretty darn good deal for something that won't freeze, won't rot your rim, and will give you the maximum ballast (traction/counterweight) possible.
Its not "cheap", but I would never consider anything other than rimguard if I'm loading my tires. Last I knew, alcohol and rubber don't play well together, so I'd be interested to see if WWF causes premature dry rot or other issues with tires over time.....
If you look at rimguard around $3/gal (plus installation unless you're cheap and want to do it yourself), you're only paying $0.27 per lb...which is a pretty darn good deal for something that won't freeze, won't rot your rim, and will give you the maximum ballast (traction/counterweight) possible.
Its not "cheap", but I would never consider anything other than rimguard if I'm loading my tires. Last I knew, alcohol and rubber don't play well together, so I'd be interested to see if WWF causes premature dry rot or other issues with tires over time.....
Your math is a little fuzzy on the weight -20F WWF weighs 7.6lbs/gal - pure methanol weighs 6.6lbs/gal. I've read about no issues with tire issues due to WWF. I have to drive an hour each way and pay $3.99/gal. for Rimguard - not in my budget. But I'll post any problems that I may encounter should any arise.